When to use Argestus
User Reporting/data-handling
Argestus is usable from the simplest to the most complicated requirements, using various sources (Excel/Databases etc.). For the simplest processes, developing a new model can be a matter of minutes. It is not only suitable for large organizations with complicated data handling processes but also for small organizations which have a need for a monthly or weekly report of some kind. Argestus is not only used for compiling reports, but is also used to handle/compile input for other systems (e.g. monthly accruals calculation), formatted into a journal entry to upload into your accounting system.
Agile IT development/Rapid Application Development (RAD)
Argestus can also be used to gather specifications and testing for the development of an Application by the IT department. Not only for the combination of data sources (ETL), but also for checks to build in and guarding that the resulting Application is flexible enough to adapt to common changes in requirements without the need of changing the application. So it may be used by Business Analysts to provide a ‘mock up’ that Business Owners can accept before starting, and during, an IT project.
Is Argestus a form of BI (Business Intelligence) or RPA (Robotic Process Automation)?
This is a tricky question. Business Intelligence is transforming raw data into meaningful and useful information used to enable more effective strategic, tactical, and operational insights and decision-making [wikipedia]. So, except that Argestus itself stores no data in a Datawarehouse, yes: Argestus is a BI system. Following the definition of RPA: Argestus does not use software ‘robots’, and it’s use is limited to Data and MS Excel. Real RPA has features like OCR and ‘screen/web-scraping’ that are not available in Argestus, not to mention the possibilities of AI applied with chat-bots etc. . On the other hand: It is a flexible tool to automate various steps performed manually otherwise. With general data-sets used in organisations, the handling of Argestus is probably more efficient than most RPA implementations will be. And, as Argestus uses native Excel to define the actions, designing the automation steps will not require extensive IT knowledge.